Airbag device

ABSTRACT

An airbag comprises a bag which is bent in the shape of an arrow ‘&lt;’ in a deployed state, and a connection member which is arranged on a side of the bag, facing a vehicle body, and connects the upper and lower ends of the bag with each other. A longitudinal intermediate portion of the bag projects toward a vehicle occupant. A space is defined between the projecting intermediate portion and the connection member. The head of the vehicle occupant initially comes into contact with the intermediate portion and then presses the bag toward the vehicle body. Upper and lower parts of the bag which extend upward and downward from the intermediate portion cooperate with the connection member to define a triangular space.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

This application is a Divisional of U.S. application Ser. No.11/092,590, filed Mar. 29, 2005, which claims priority to and thebenefit of the following U.S. Provisional Patent Applications:

Application Ser. No. 60/627,025, filed Nov. 12, 2004;

Application Ser. No. 60/627,178, filed Nov. 15, 2004;

Application Ser. No. 60/628,539, filed Nov. 18, 2004;

Application Ser. No. 60/652,731, filed Feb. 15, 2005; and

Application Ser. No. 60/646,487, filed Jan. 25, 2005.

Each of the foregoing applications are incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to an airbag for protecting the head of avehicle occupant, and more particularly, to a head protection airbagwhich is constructed so as to be deployed along a side door pillar andthe like upon a side impact or a roll-over of a vehicle. Also, thepresent invention relates to a head protection airbag device having thehead protection airbag.

As is generally known in the art, an airbag for protecting the head of avehicle occupant is installed adjacent to a corner of a vehicle interiorwhere a roof panel and a side panel are joined to each other, and isconstructed so as to be deployed along a side door window and the likewhen gas is introduced therein from an inflator through a gas inlet.

International Publication No. WO 97/06987 (hereby incorporated byreference herein in its entirety) discloses a side airbag which isdeployed on the side of a vehicle occupant. In the side airbag, alongitudinal intermediate portion of a bag is constricted by a seamwhich extends in a transverse direction (a lengthwise direction of avehicle body: this also applies to the following description), so thatthe bag is divided into an upper portion and a lower portion. A panel ispositioned along a portion of the airbag which faces the vehicleoccupant. The upper and lower portions of the panel are respectivelyconnected to the upper and lower portions of the bag. When the bag isinflated, the panel is tightly stretched. Then, as the shoulder of theoccupant comes into contact with the bag, the panel pulls the upperportion of the bag downward. As such, the upper portion of the bag ispulled toward the vehicle occupant to protect the head of the vehicleoccupant.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-72500discloses an airbag for protecting the head of a vehicle occupant(hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety). In this typeof airbag, supporting fabric is positioned on the sides of a bag whichfaces both a vehicle occupant and a vehicle body. The upper and loweredges of the supporting fabric are coupled to the upper and lower edgesof the bag.

In the case where the airbag disclosed in International Publication No.WO 97/06987, which has the panel positioned so as to face the vehicleoccupant, is employed as a head protection airbag, when the head of thevehicle occupant comes into contact with the panel, since the lowerportion of the bag is also pulled toward the vehicle occupant, a tensileforce is not sufficiently generated in the panel, and therefore, thepanel cannot properly protect the head.

In the case of the head protection airbag disclosed in JapaneseUnexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-72500, the supportingfabric contributes to the protection of the occupant's head. However, inorder to ensure that the airbag or the supporting fabric immediatelycatches the head of the vehicle occupant, the thickness of a connectionmember of the airbag needs to be increased, which consequently increasesthe size of the airbag. As a result, it is necessary to employ aninflator having a large capacity.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a headprotection airbag which eliminates the need to employ an inflator havinga large capacity and which is capable of immediately protecting the headof a vehicle occupant, thereby sufficiently absorbing a shock applied tothe head of the vehicle occupant, and a head protection airbag devicehaving the head protection airbag.

SUMMARY

One embodiment of the invention relates to an airbag device. The airbagdevice comprises an airbag having first and second side surfaces andupper and lower ends. The airbag is configured to inflate into aposition wherein an enveloped space is defined by the first side surfaceand a plane containing the upper and lower ends of the airbag. The ratioof the volume of the enveloped space over the volume of the inflatedairbag is greater than approximately 1.0.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, an airbagdevice for protecting a vehicle occupant is provided. The airbag devicecomprises an airbag having first and second side surfaces and upper andlower ends, and a member connecting the upper and lower ends of theairbag. The airbag is configured to inflate into a position wherein anenveloped space is defined by the first side surface and a planecontaining the connecting member.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, an occupantsafety system is provided. The occupant safety system comprises anairbag having first and second side surfaces and upper and lower ends, amember connecting the upper and lower ends of the airbag, and aninflator for inflating the airbag. The airbag is configured to inflateinto a position wherein an enveloped space is defined by the first sidesurface and a plane containing the connecting member.

According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, an airbagdevice is provided. The airbag device comprises an airbag having firstand second side surfaces, upper and lower ends and an intermediateportion, and a member connecting the upper and lower ends of the airbag.The airbag is configured to inflate into a position wherein an envelopedspace is defined by the first side surface and a plane containing theconnecting member.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only,and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the presentinvention will become apparent from the following description, appendedclaims, and the accompanying exemplary embodiments shown in thedrawings, which are briefly described below.

FIGS. 1( a) and 1(b) are diagrammatic side views illustrating deployedstates of head protection airbags in accordance with embodiments of thepresent invention.

FIGS. 2( a), 2(b) and 2(c) are views explaining the operation of theairbag shown in FIG. 1( a).

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a head protection airbag inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention, which is viewedfrom the side of a vehicle occupant and is maintained in an un-deployedstate.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a bag of thehead protection airbag is pulled upward.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the head protection airbagwhich is viewed from the side of a vehicle body.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the headprotection airbag is deployed and is viewed from the side of the vehicleoccupant.

FIGS. 7( a), 7(b), 7(c), 7(d) and 7(e) are cross-sectional views takenalong the lines A-A, B-B, C-C, D-D and E-E of FIG. 6.

FIGS. 8( a) and 8(b) are explanatory views illustrating anotherembodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 9( a) and 9(b) are explanatory views illustrating anotherembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory view illustrating another embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIGS. 11( a), 11(b) and 11(c) are explanatory views illustrating stillanother embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 12( a), 12(b), and 12(c) are explanatory views illustratingfurther another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a view of an airbag according to another embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIGS. 14( a) and 14(b) are views of an airbag according to anotherembodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14( a) is a perspective viewand FIG. 14( b) is a side view of the airbag shown in FIG. 14( a).

FIGS. 15( a), 15(b) and 15(c) are views of an airbag according toanother embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 15( a) is aperspective view. FIG. 15( b) is a side view taken along line A-A inFIG. 15( a). FIG. 15( c) is a view taken along line B-B in FIG. 15( a).

FIGS. 16( a), 16(b) and 16(c) are views of an airbag according toanother embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 16( a) is a view of anairbag with a connecting member facing the occupant. FIG. 16( b) is aview of an airbag positioned on a lower dashboard in a vehicle. FIG. 16(c) is a view of an airbag positioned on a roof line of a vehicle.

FIGS. 17( a) and 17(b) are views of an airbag according to anotherembodiment of the present invention. FIG. 17( a) is a view of an airbagwith a connecting member facing the vehicle body. FIG. 17( b) is a viewof an airbag with the connecting member facing away from the vehiclebody.

FIG. 18 is a view of an airbag.

FIG. 19 is a schematic view of an occupant protection system accordingto an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 20 is a view of an airbag according to another embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 21 is a view of an airbag according to another embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 22 is a view of an airbag according to another embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 23 is a view of an airbag according to another embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 24 is a view of an airbag in a “flower” shape according to anotherembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 25 is a view of an airbag according to another embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 26 is a view of an airbag according to another embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIGS. 27( a)-27(f) are views of an airbag with pre-folds according toanother embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 28( a)-28(f) are views of an airbag with pre-folds and followingfolding variations according to another embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIGS. 29( a) and 29(b) are views of an airbag in a “double D” shapeaccording to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 29( a) isa perspective view and FIG. 29( b) is a side view.

FIG. 30 is a view of an airbag according to another embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 31 is a view of an airbag according to another embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIGS. 32( a) and 32(b) are views of an airbag according to anotherembodiment of the present invention. FIG. 32( a) is a perspective viewof an airbag with tethers. FIG. 32( b) is an end-view of a cross-sectiontaken along line A-A in FIG. 32( a).

FIGS. 33( a)-33(c) are views of an airbag with a strap attached to theroof line of a vehicle according to another embodiment of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provideda head protection airbag deployable along a side surface of a vehicleinterior, comprising a bag which is positioned so as to face a vehicleoccupant and is deployed when gas is introduced therein from aninflator, and a connection member which is positioned on a side of thebag, facing a vehicle body, and connects upper and lower ends of the bagwith each other, wherein, when the bag is deployed, a longitudinalintermediate portion of the bag projects toward the vehicle occupant,and the connection member is coupled to the upper and lower ends of thebag in a tensed state, such that a space is defined between thelongitudinal intermediate portion of the bag and the connection member.

The head protection airbag according to a second aspect of the presentinvention is characterized in that, in the first aspect, theintermediate portion is positioned lower than the middle of the bag inthe longitudinal direction.

The head protection airbag according to a third aspect is characterizedin that, in the first and second aspects, at least in a front part ofthe bag, the intermediate portion is gradually decreased in heighttoward a front end of the bag.

The head protection airbag of a fourth aspect is characterized in that,in any one of the first to third aspects, when the bag is deployed, athicknesswise center line of an upper part of the bag which extendsupward from the intermediate portion gradually approaches the connectionmember in an upward direction, and a thicknesswise center line of alower part of the bag which extends downward from the intermediateportion gradually approaches the connection member in a downwarddirection.

The head protection airbag of a fifth aspect is characterized in that,in the fourth aspect, the deployed bag has a substantially ‘<’-shaped or‘L’-shaped configuration when viewed from the side.

The head protection airbag of a sixth aspect is characterized in that,in any one of first to fifth aspects, the bag comprises a first panelwhich faces the vehicle occupant and a second panel which faces thevehicle body, the first and second panels being coupled to each other insuch a way so as to define between them at least one chamber into whichgas from the inflator is introduced; and a longitudinal length of thefirst and second panels is greater than that of the connection member.

The head protection airbag of a seventh aspect is characterized in that,in the sixth aspect, the first and second panels are coupled to eachother by a plurality of linear coupling portions which extend in alongitudinal direction, and chambers are defined between the linearcoupling portions so as to extend in the longitudinal direction.

The head protection airbag of an eighth aspect is characterized in that,in seventh aspect, at the longitudinal intermediate portion of the bag,each of the chambers has a width which is less than that of each of theupper and lower parts of the bag.

The head protection airbag of a ninth aspect is characterized in that,in the sixth aspect, the first and second panels are coupled to eachother at the intermediate portion by a linear coupling portion whichextends in a transverse direction, and chambers are defined above andbelow the linear coupling portion.

The head protection airbag of a tenth aspect is characterized in that,in any one of the first to ninth aspects, the connection membercomprises a panel or a tether belt.

The head protection airbag of an eleventh aspect is characterized inthat, in any one of the first to tenth aspects, the connection member isconstructed such that its longitudinal length is increased when atensile force above a predetermined level is applied thereto in thelongitudinal direction.

The head protection airbag of a twelfth aspect is characterized in that,in any one of the first to ninth aspects, the connection membercomprises a panel; a front protruding portion which extends forward froma front end of the bag is connected to a front end of the panel; aninflation chamber to be inflated by gas from the inflator is disposed inthe front protruding portion so as to extend in the longitudinaldirection; and a lower portion of a rear end of the front protrudingportion is connected to a lower portion of the front end of the bag.

The head protection airbag of a thirteenth aspect is characterized inthat, in any one of the first to ninth aspects and the twelfth aspect,the connection member comprises a panel; a rear protruding portion whichextends in a rear direction of the bag is connected to a rear end of thepanel; an inflation chamber to be inflated by gas from the inflator isdisposed in the rear protruding portion so as to extend in thelongitudinal direction; and a lower portion of a front end of the rearprotruding portion is connected to a lower portion of the rear end ofthe bag.

The head protection airbag of a fourteenth aspect is characterized inthat, in any one of the first to ninth aspects, the connection membercomprises a panel; a front closing member is installed so as to close aspace between front edges of the connection member and the bag, and arear closing member is installed so as to close a space between rearedges of the connection member and the bag, whereby the space definedbetween the bag and the connection member is closed so as to form aspace; and a venting part is formed so as to communicate the space withthe outside.

The head protection airbag device of a fifteenth aspect comprises thehead protection airbag according to any one of the first to fifteenthaspects and an inflator which generates gas for inflating the headprotection airbag.

When a vehicle occupant comes into contact with the head protectionairbag according to the present invention, the intermediate portion ofthe bag protects the head of the vehicle occupant while graduallywithdrawing toward the vehicle body. By this withdrawal, a force isapplied to the bag such that the upper part and the lower part of thebag are diverged from each other. The force is opposed by the connectionmember. Therefore, the intermediate portion of the bag graduallywithdraws toward the vehicle body while protecting the head of thevehicle occupant. At this time, the shock applied to the head of thevehicle occupant is absorbed. After the intermediate portion which hascaught the head of the vehicle occupant comes into contact with thevehicle body, the bag is depressed to absorb the shock applied to thehead of the vehicle occupant.

Since the projection of the intermediate portion of the bag projectstoward the vehicle occupant, the head of the occupant can be immediatelycaught by the bag and a shock can be absorbed throughout an extendedperiod of time. While the bag withdraws, the reaction force which thehead receives from the bag is relatively small. As a result, when thehead of the vehicle occupant is initially caught by the bag, thereaction force that is applied to the head of the occupant from the bagis small.

In the head protection airbag of the second aspect, even when a vehicleoccupant has a low sitting height, the head of the vehicle occupant canbe securely protected by the projecting intermediate portion of the bag.

As the sitting height of a vehicle occupant decreases, the vehicleoccupant has a tendency to place the seat to a more forward position. Inthe head protection airbag of the third aspect, even in the case where avehicle occupant having a low sitting height is in the forward position,the head of the vehicle occupant can be securely protected caught by theprojecting intermediate portion of the bag.

In the head protection airbag of the fourth aspect, when the vehicleoccupant comes into contact with the bag and a biasing force is appliedto the intermediate portion of the bag, the biasing force is opposed bythe reaction force from the upper part of the bag and the reaction forcefrom the lower part of the bag.

In particular, as in the fifth aspect, if the deployed bag issubstantially arrow ‘<’-shaped or ‘L’-shaped when viewed from the side,the bag and the connection member define a substantially triangularspace. Therefore, since it is difficult to deform the bag by the biasingforce applied from the vehicle occupant, the shock from the vehicleoccupant can be sufficiently absorbed.

By the head protection airbag of the sixth aspect, because the bag ispulled by a connection member, the bag is deployed to define thesubstantially triangular space.

By the head protection airbag of the seventh aspect, it is possible todecrease the thickness of the bag upon deployment.

By the head protection airbag of the eighth aspect, when the bag isdeployed, each chamber is bent at a region where its width is reduced.

In the ninth aspect, in the present invention, the first and secondpanels can be coupled to each other by the linear coupling portion whichextends in the transverse direction. In this case, when the panels aredeployed, the bag is bent along the linear coupling portion.

As described in the tenth aspect, the connection member may comprise apanel or a tether belt. If the connection member comprises the panel,the forces generated when the bag is deployed, for diverging the upperand lower parts of the bag from each other, are imposed on the entirebag. If the connection member comprises the tether belt, it is possibleto reduce the weight of the airbag.

In the case of the eleventh aspect, regarding the vertical length, thatis, the increase in height of the connection member, the shock isabsorbed more effectively.

In the head protection airbag of the twelfth and thirteenth aspects,since the front extending section and the rear extending section areinflated, when the vehicle occupant comes into contact with the front orrear extending section, a shock can be absorbed by the correspondingsection. Also, when the front and rear extending sections are deployeddownward, since the bag is pulled downward, the deployment of the bagcan be quickly implemented.

In the case of the head protection airbag of the fourteenth aspect, whenthe bag withdraws, because air existing in the space defined behind thebag is slowly discharged to the outside, the shock from the vehicleoccupant can be reliably absorbed.

Hereafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will bedescribed with reference to the attached drawings.

In the description given below, a transverse direction means a forwardand rearward direction of a vehicle in which a head protection airbagaccording to the present invention is installed, and a longitudinaldirection means an upward and downward direction of the vehicle in whichthe head protection airbag according to the present invention isdeployed in a vehicle interior.

All head protection airbags (hereinafter, simply referred to as“airbags”) according to various embodiments of the present invention aswill be sequentially described below in detail are installed along aside portion of a roof panel, for example, to extend from an A pillar toa C pillar in their folded state, and are inflated and deployed in theshape of a curtain along a side surface of the vehicle interior when aside impact or a roll-over of the vehicle occurs, to protect the head ofa vehicle occupant seated on a front seat or a rear seat in the vehicleinterior, thereby preventing the head of the vehicle occupant fromcolliding with the side surface of the vehicle interior or the vehicleoccupant from being ejected through a window of the vehicle.

An airbag 90 shown in FIG. 1( a) comprises a bag 95 which is bent in theshape of ‘<’ in an inflated state, and a connection member 91 which ispositioned on a side of the bag 95, facing a vehicle body, and connectsupper and lower portions of the bag 95 with each other. A longitudinalintermediate portion of the bag 95 which substantially corresponds tothe middle of the bag 95 projects toward the vehicle occupant. Thedistance from the connection member 91 to the projecting end of the bag95 is designated by reference numeral 92. A space 99 is defined betweenthe vertical projecting intermediate portion 95 c and the connectionmember 91.

In a bag 95′ of an airbag 90′ shown in FIG. 1( b), a projectingintermediate portion 95 c′ is positioned lower than the middle of thebag 95′. The bag 95′ is ‘L’-shaped when viewed from the side.

The connection members 91 and 91′ of the bags 95 and 95′ are made of afabric (a panel), a belt (a tether), a mesh, etc. In FIG. 1( b), inaddition to a door 93, a window 94 and a roof panel 98, the head H ofthe vehicle occupant which is caught by the intermediate portion 95 c′of the bag 95′ is also illustrated.

In a state in which each bag 95 and 95′ is inflated, a thicknesswisecenter line ‘a’ of an upper portion of each bag which extends upwardfrom the bent portion of each bag gradually approaches the connectionmember 91 in an upward direction, and a thicknesswise center line ‘b’ ofa lower portion of the bag which extends downward from the bent portionof each bag gradually approaches the connection member 91 in a downwarddirection.

FIGS. 2( a) and 2(b) are views illustrating a state in which the head Hand the shoulder of the vehicle occupant are protected by the airbag 90shown in FIG. 1( a).

Referring to FIG. 2( a), the head H of the vehicle occupant initiallycomes into contact with the intermediate portion 95 c of the bag 95 soas to push the bag 95 toward the vehicle body. The upper and lowerportions 95 a and 95 b of the bag 95 and the connection member 91 definea triangular configuration. Accordingly, in opposition to a force F1which is applied by the head H to the bag 95 to push the bag 95 towardthe vehicle body, reaction forces F2 and F3 are generated in the upperand lower parts 95 a and 95 b of the bag 95, so as to act in oppositedirections which are parallel to the upper and lower parts 95 a and 95b. As a result, the head H is applied with the sum of the reactionforces F2 and F3 and is only gradually moved to push the bag 95 into thespace 99. In this way, a shock to the head H is gradually absorbed.Consequently, the speed at which the head H moves toward the vehiclebody gradually decreases.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 2( b), the bag 95 comes into contact withthe window 94 or the pillar (not shown) via the connection member 91,and is then depressed against the vehicle body by the head.

In a state shown in FIG. 2( b), since the speed at which the head Hmoves toward the vehicle body is significantly decreased, the reactionforce which is applied by the bag 95 to the head H is small.

FIG. 2( c) is a graph showing changes in the reaction force which isapplied to the head H by the airbag, with the lapse of time after a sideimpact of a vehicle occurs.

In the case of the airbag 90, due to the fact that the intermediateportion 90 c initially catches the head H, although the reaction forceinitially increases, after the initial stage, only a relatively lowreaction force is generated.

On the contrary, in a comparative example in which an airbag ispositioned adjacent to a window, because the head depresses the airbagfrom the start, a maximum value of the reaction force which is appliedto the head from the airbag becomes greater than that in the case of theairbag 90.

Next, a specific example of a head protection airbag according to thepresent invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 through 7.

The airbag 1 comprises a bag 2 which is inflated to project toward thevehicle occupant, a connection member 3 which is positioned at a side ofthe bag 2, facing the vehicle body, and is composed of a panelconnecting the upper and lower portions of the bag 2 with each other, afront protruding portion 4 which is connected to the connection member 3so as to protrude forward, and a rear protruding portion 5 which isconnected to the connection member 3 so as to protrude rearward. Whenthe bag 2 is inflated, a space 19 is defined between the bag 2 and theconnection member 3 (see FIGS. 6 and 7).

The bag 2 is formed by sewing a first panel 6 (see FIG. 7) which facesthe vehicle occupant with a second panel 7 which faces the connectionmember 3 (see FIG. 7). Sewing is implemented along a plurality oflongitudinal sewing lines 8, a lower sewing line 9 which extends alongthe lower edges of the panels 6 and 7, and an upper sewing line 10 whichextends along the upper edges of the panels 6 and 7.

Slightly below the upper ends of the panels 6 and 7, openings 11 aredefined through the panels 6 and 7 and the connection member 3, andsewing is implemented around each opening 11 along a circular sewingline 12. The longitudinal sewing line 8 is connected to the circularsewing line 12.

A plurality of longitudinally inflatable chambers 13 are defined betweenthe longitudinal sewing lines 8. A tunnel-shaped gas passage (a duct) 14is defined between the circular sewing lines 12 and the upper sewingline 10 to extend along the upper sewing line 10.

Furthermore, each of longitudinal intermediate portions of thelongitudinal sewing lines 8 is formed with a circular sewing lineportion 8 a or a semi-circular sewing line portion 8 b. Between thecircular sewing line portions 8 a or between the circular andsemi-circular sewing line portions 8 a and 8 b, the chamber 13 has adecreased width.

A plurality of tab pieces 18 are formed on an upper edge of the airbag1. The tab pieces 18 are fastened to a roof side rail or the A pillar ofthe vehicle body by means of bolts, rivets, etc.

The connection member 3 comprises a panel. As shown in FIG. 5, an upperportion of the connection member 3 is sewn to the panels 6 and 7 by thecircular sewing lines 12, and a lower edge of the connection member 3 issewn to the panels 6 and 7 by the lower sewing line 9.

The length of the connection member 3 which is measured from thecircular sewing line 12 to the lower sewing line 9 is smaller than thatof the panels 6 and 7 which are measured from the circular sewing line12 to the lower sewing line 9.

As shown in FIG. 7( e), the front protruding portion 4 is formed bysewing a vehicle occupant-side panel 20 and a vehicle body-side panel 21to each other along a sewing line 22. In this preferred embodiment ofthe present invention, an upper edge of the panel 20 is connected to thefirst panel 6, and an upper edge of the panel 21 is connected to thesecond panel 7.

As shown in FIGS. 3 through 6, the sewing line 22 comprises a sewingline portion 22 a which extends along the upper edges of the panels 20and 21, a sewing line portion 22 b which extends along the front edgesof the panels 20 and 21, a sewing line portion 22 c which extends alonglower front edges of the panels 20 and 21, a sewing line portion 22 dfor defining a chamber 23, sewing line portions 22 e and 22 f forforming a duct 24, sewing line portions 22 g and 22 i for forming a duct25, and a sewing line portion 22 h for defining a chamber 26.

The sewing line portion 22 i sews the panels 20 and 21 and theconnection member 3 to one another. The sewing line portion 22 i extendsupward along the rear edge of the front protruding portion 4 and isconnected to the circular sewing line 12 which is formed at the frontportion of the bag 2.

The duct 24 is connected to the duct 14 and extends from the upper edgeof the front protruding portion 4 to the front edge thereof. The duct 24communicates with the chamber 23. The duct 25 branches from a proximalend of the duct 24 and extends downward along the rear edge of the frontprotruding portion 4. The duct 25 communicates with the chamber 26.

A strap 27 extends from the lower portion protruding portion 4 to thefront thereof. The strap 27 is connected to the A pillar of the vehiclebody and functions so as to apply a tensile force to the lower edge ofthe inflated airbag 1.

The rear protruding portion 5 is formed by sewing a vehicleoccupant-side panel 30 and a vehicle body-side panel 31 (see FIG. 7)along sewing lines 32 and 33. The sewing line 32 extends along the upperportions of the panels 30 and 31 and is connected to the sewing line 10.The upper portion of the panel 30 is connected to the first panel 6, andthe upper portion of the panel 31 is connected to the second panel 7.

The sewing line 32 comprises three longitudinal sewing line portions 33a, 33 c and 33 e, and sewing line portions 33 b and 33 d which connectlower portions of the longitudinal sewing line portions 33 a, 33 c and33 e with one another. Chambers 38 and 39 are defined between the sewingline portions 33 a and 33 c and between the sewing line portions 33 cand 33 e.

The sewing line portion 33 e sews the panels 30 and 31 and theconnection member 3 to one another.

An upper portion of the rear protruding portion 5 defines a gas inlet 36which slightly projects rearward. A duct 37 is formed along the uppersewing line 32. The duct 37 communicates with the duct 14 and therespective chambers 38 and 39.

The front end of the airbag 1 is positioned adjacent to the A pillar,the rear end of the airbag 1 is positioned adjacent to the B pillar, andthe upper edge of the airbag 1 is positioned to the roof side panel. Theairbag 1 is installed in a receiving space (not shown) for the airbag 1,defined in the vehicle body, in a state in which it is folded into anelongated configuration and extends in the transverse direction of thevehicle body. An inflator or a gas conduit is connected to the gas inlet36.

The folded airbag 1 which is received in the receiving space of thevehicle body is covered by a covering element such as a pillar trim, aroof trim, and the like. The covering element is pressed and opened bythe airbag 1 when the airbag 1 is inflated, to allow the deployment ofthe airbag 1 into the vehicle interior.

Herein below, the operation of a head protection airbag device havingthe airbag 1 constructed as mentioned above will be described.

If a side impact or a roll-over of a vehicle occurs, the inflator isactuated, and gas is supplied through the ducts 37, 14, 24 and 25 intothe respective chambers 38, 39, 13, 26 and 23 of the airbag 1, wherebythe airbag 1 is inflated. The airbag 1 opens the covering element, isdeployed downward in the shape of a curtain along the side surface ofthe vehicle interior, and is fully inflated between the vehicle occupantand the vehicle body as shown in FIG. 6 to prevent the vehicle occupantfrom being brought into direct contact with the pillar, windows, etc.and from being ejected out of the vehicle.

In the head protection airbag 1 according to the present invention, thedeployment of the airbag 1 can vary depending on the location and sizeof the inflator pipe outlets in the airbag 1, amongst other things.

The bag 2 is pulled downward by the forward and rear protruding portions4 and 5 as described above. As gas is supplied into the respectivechambers 13 through the duct 14, the bag 2 is inflated. Because theupper and lower portions of the bag 2 are connected to the connectionmember 3, the longitudinal intermediate portion of the bag 2 projectstoward the vehicle occupant. In this preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, since the intermediate portions of the respective chambers 13are decreased in width due to the presence of the circular andsemi-circular sewing line portions 8 a and 8 b, as can be readily seenfrom FIG. 7( c), while being inflated, the bag 2 is bent substantiallyin the shape of an arrow ‘<’ along a line connecting the circular andsemi-circular sewing line portions 8 a and 8 b. The space 19 is definedbetween the bag 2 and the connection member 3. The space 19 is opened tothe atmosphere at the front and rear ends of the bag 2.

The vehicle occupant is protected by the airbag deployed and inflated asshown in FIG. 6. As in the case of FIG. 2, since the head of the vehicleoccupant comes into contact with and is protected by the intermediateportion of the bag 2, a shock applied to the vehicle occupant can besufficiently absorbed, and as shown in FIG. 2( c), a maximum value ofthe reaction force which is applied to the vehicle occupant from the bag2 is small.

Moreover, in this preferred embodiment of the present invention, asshown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the circular and semi-circular sewing lineportions 8 a and 8 b are gradually decreased in heights toward the frontside of the vehicle. Due to this fact, the bending portion of the bag 2is also gradually decreased in height toward the front side of thevehicle. This is to ensure that, since a vehicle occupant having a lowsitting height has a tendency to place a seat to a more forwardposition, the bending portion of the bag 2 has a decreased heightadjacent to the front side of the bag 2 to securely protect the head ofthe vehicle occupant. In this regard, a vehicle may be adopted, whereinthe left height of a seat cushion is automatically raised when thevehicle occupant slides the seat forward. Therefore, in this case, it ispreferred that the bending line of the bag 2 has the same height in thetransverse direction.

Other embodiments of the present invention will be described below withreference to FIG. 8 and other drawings. FIG. 8( b) is a cross-sectionalview taken along the line B-B of FIG. 8( a).

In an airbag 1A shown in FIGS. 8( a) and 8(b), a longitudinalintermediate portion of a bag 2A is sewn by a transverse sewing line 41,and chambers 42 and 43 are defined above and below the sewing line 41.The sewing line 41 extends from the front edge of the bag 2A and to aposition which is adjacent to the rear portion of the bag 2A. Betweenthe sewing line 41 and the rear edge of the bag 2A, there is defined acommunicating portion 44 which communicates the chambers 42 and 43 witheach other.

Other constructions of the airbag 1A are the same as those of the airbag1, and therefore, the same reference numerals are used to designate thesame parts.

When the airbag 1A is inflated, the bag 2A and the connection member 3define a triangular configuration, and the space 19 is defined betweenthe bag 2A and the connection member 3. Therefore, the airbag 1Aaccording to this embodiment accomplishes the same effects as the airbag1.

While the communicating portion 44 is defined at the rear portion of thebag 2A in FIG. 8, it can be readily understood that the communicatingportion 44 can be defined at the front portion of the bag 2A and betweenthe front and rear portions of the bag 2A.

In an airbag 1B shown in FIG. 9, non-inflatable panel parts 46 areinstalled between the chambers 13 of a bag 2B. The longitudinalintermediate portions of the chamber 13 are decreased in width bysemi-circular sewing lines 8B. Other constructions are the same as thoseof FIG. 6, and, therefore, the same reference numerals are used todesignate the same parts.

FIG. 9( b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B of FIG. 9(a).

In the airbag 1B, the bag 2B is inflated and bent at the longitudinalintermediate portion, and the space 19 is defined between the bag 2B andthe connection member 3. Therefore, the airbag 1B according to thisembodiment accomplishes the same effects as the airbag 1. Also, in thisembodiment, since the panel parts 46 are installed in the bag 2B and asmall number of chambers 13 are defined, even when an inflator havingsmall capacity is employed, the airbag 1B can be quickly inflated.

An airbag 1′ shown in FIG. 10 is constructed in a manner such that, inthe airbag 1, a loop part 50 is formed by a tear seam 51 at alongitudinal intermediate portion of the connection member 3. Otherconstructions are the same as those of the airbag 1.

The airbag 1′ also accomplishes the same effects as the airbag 1. Inthis preferred embodiment of the present invention, if a tensile forceof no less than a predetermined level is applied to the connectionmember 3 in the longitudinal direction, as the tear seam 51 is torn, thelongitudinal length of the connection member 3 increases. In this way,when the tear seam 51 is torn, a shock applied to the vehicle occupantis absorbed.

Also, instead of forming the loop part 50 using the tear seam 51, aplurality of short slits 52 may be defined in a connection member 3″ ofan airbag 1″ as shown in FIG. 11.

As shown in FIG. 11( b) (which is a cross-sectional view taken along theline B-B of FIG. 11( a)) and FIG. 11( c), if a tensile force of no lessthan a predetermined level is applied to the connection member 3″ in thelongitudinal direction, as the slits 52 are opened, the shock applied tothe vehicle occupant is absorbed. Each slit 52 may be closed by a tearseam such that the tear seam can be torn by the application of a tensileforce of no less than a predetermined level. Other constructions in FIG.11( a) are the same as those in FIG. 5.

An airbag 60 shown in FIG. 12 comprises a bag 61, a connection member 62which is positioned on a side of the bag 61, facing the vehicle body,and is composed of a panel for connecting the upper and lower portionsof the bag 61 with each other, and side panels 63 serving as front andrear closing members for closing front and rear portions of the airbag60.

In the bag 61, as in the case of the bag 2, two panels 64 and 65 aresewn to each other along sewing lines to define a plurality oflongitudinal chambers 66. A duct 67 is formed along the upper edge ofthe bag 61, and gas can be supplied through a gas inlet 68. The panels63 comprise triangular panels which close sides of a space 70 which isdefined between the bag 61 and the connection member 62. The space 70communicates with the atmosphere through a vent hole 71 which is definedin the connection member 62.

Also in this embodiment, the longitudinal intermediate portion of thebag 61 is bent so as to project toward the vehicle occupant. Therefore,the airbag according to this embodiment accomplishes the same effects asthose of the aforementioned respective airbags.

Specifically, in this preferred embodiment of the present invention,when the vehicle occupant is brought into contact with the bag 61 toreduce the volume of the space 70, as air existing in the space 70 isdischarged through the vent hole 71, the shock applied to the vehicleoccupant is absorbed.

While the vent hole 71 is defined in the connection member 62 in FIG.12, the vent hole 71 may be defined in the side panel 63. Also, in placeof the vent hole, at least a portion of the connection member 62 or theside panel 63 may be constructed of a fabric having air permeability.

The above-described embodiments are illustrated and explained by way ofexamples, and the present invention may have other constructions. Forexample, a belt may be used in place of the connection member 3. Also,the airbags may be installed at other locations such as between the Apillar, C pillar, D pillar and so forth. Further the airbags may beinstalled outside of the vehicle, or directly on a seat or the dashboardof a vehicle. A combination of airbags may also be used. Furthermore,the shape of the airbag can vary. The airbag can inflate into a “D” or“>” shape, an “L” shape or a “V” shape, or other similar shape.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the airbag 1can include darts or longitudinal seams 8 and circular seams 12 thatextend in a curved manner or a bend to form the substantial “D” shape or“>” shape in the airbag 1. In this embodiment, shown in FIG. 13, theairbag 1 includes a combination of generally straight line areas 106 andthe curved or bent areas 108 formed by the darts 8 and circular seams12. The transition area from the straight line area 106 to the curvedseam area 108 is open. However, the transition area can also be coveredby a fabric sheet or sheets. Further, the transition area between thestraight line area 106 to the curved seam area 108 can be formed byairbag chambers.

FIGS. 14( a) and 14(b) show another embodiment of the present invention.The airbag 200 can have tethers 201 as a connection member. The tethers201 are interconnected among various points along the airbag 200 to formthe bent or “>” shape in the airbag 200. The tethers 201 connect to theairbag 200 at various connection points 205. The airbag 200 can have asingle kink or bend in each chamber 203 (similar to FIG. 1( a)), or theairbag 200 can have multiple kinks or bends, as shown in FIG. 14( b).The tethers 201 can be attached to the airbag 200 at two or more placesto force the formation of one or more bends or kinks in the airbag 200.The connection member 201 can also comprise a belt or rope or any othersuitable device.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the airbag 220 may havea combination of inter-chamber deformation with chamber deformation. Forexample, FIGS. 15( a), 15(b) and 15(c) show an airbag 220 with multiplechambers 223. Chambers 223 in the upper center region of the airbag 220are further deformed to cause the shape shown in FIG. 15( c). Thisinter-deformation and deformation aids in receiving the head H of anoccupant during a collision event. The location of the inter-deformedchambers can be located in various positions in the airbag 220 and neednot be located as shown in FIG. 15( a).

According to another embodiment shown in FIG. 16( a), the airbag 290 canhave the connection member 91 located facing towards the occupant.Further, the airbag 290 can be positioned in multiple locations insidethe vehicle, such as along the lower dashboard D to protect the knees ofan occupant, or along the roof line R of a vehicle, as can be seen inFIGS. 16( b) and 16(c).

In another embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 17( a) and17(b), the airbag 290 can be positioned outside of a vehicle 295, suchthat a pedestrian or other individual outside of the vehicle can beprotected in the case of a collision. The airbag 290 can be positionedwith the connection member 91 facing the vehicle 295 or away from thevehicle 295.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the airbag 300 isconfigured to inflate into a position wherein an enveloped space Y isdefined by the first side surface 302 and a plane containing the upperand lower ends of the airbag 305, which can be seen in FIG. 18. Theratio of the volume of the enveloped space Y over the volume V of theinflated airbag 300, according to an embodiment of the presentinvention, is greater than approximately 1.0. In another embodiment, theratio is greater than approximately 1.2.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a longitudinal length Xof the connection member 91 is smaller than a longitudinal length L ofthe airbag 300. In an embodiment, the ratio of the longitudinal distanceL of the airbag 300 to the longitudinal length X of the connectionmember 91 is approximately 1.2 or greater. In another embodiment, theratio of the longitudinal distance L of the airbag 300 to thelongitudinal length X of the connection member 91 is approximately 1.25.

In an airbag device of another embodiment, the airbag 300 comprises aneffective space factor defined as the stroke length Z divided by theinflation volume V of the airbag 300. The effective space factor of anairbag 300 in an embodiment of the present invention is approximately7.5. In another embodiment, the airbag 300 comprises an effective spacefactor greater than 7.5. In an embodiment, a width of each of theplurality of chambers at the intermediate portion of the airbag 300 issmaller than a width of each of the plurality of chambers at the upperand lower ends of the airbag 300.

In another embodiment, as shown schematically in FIG. 19, the airbag 90is part of an occupant safety system 320. The occupant safety system 320includes an Electronic Control Unit 325 configured to determine avehicle collusion and to trigger deployment of the airbag 90. A SeatWeight Sensor 330 can also be included in the occupant safety system320, which is configured to determine a vehicle occupant's weight and/orposition. Additionally, the occupant safety system 320 can also includea Motorized Seat Belt device 335, which can be controlled by theElectronic Control Unit 325.

FIG. 20 is an example of an embodiment of the current invention in whicha bend in the airbag 350 is formed by the shape of the chambers 353 ofthe airbag 350. For example, the curves of seams 352 may be used todecrease the thickness of a chamber 353, as shown in FIG. 20. Thiscauses a weakening of the airbag 350 in the region of the seam curves352 and creates a bend in the airbag 350. A bend line 354 is anarrangement of neighboring chambers 353 with weakened zones 356.

FIG. 21 is an embodiment of the current invention in which silicon lines358 are used to weaken airbag chambers 353. The silicon weakens theairbag 350 by decreasing the diameter of the airbag 350 along a bentline 354. For example, lines of silicon 358 may include strips ofsilicon or straps of silicon. Silicon based materials may be used,including silicone. During deflation, the silicon lines 358 may fail andfall off of the airbag. For example, the silicon lines 358 may fail bycracking or breaking. Failure of the silicon lines 358 may occur fully,partially, or not at all.

FIG. 22 shows another embodiment of the current invention in which seams357 between airbag chambers 353 may be used to form bends in an airbag350. For example, seams 357 placed between chambers 353 may be reapedtogether to form a fold or bent line in the airbag 350. This causes abuckle 359 on one side of the airbag 350 and a dell 360, or valley, onthe other side of the airbag 350. A common seam 357 formed in the airbag350 may be 3-5 cm long. FIG. 23 shows a further embodiment of thepresent invention that is similar to the airbag of FIG. 22 but alsoincludes a connection member 91 to enhance airbag 350 bending orbuckling.

FIG. 24 shows another embodiment of the present invention in which anairbag 380 with a flower shape is used. For example, three or morechambers 381, 382, 383 may be used to form the “petals” of a flower. Inthe example shown in FIG. 24, the chambers 381, 382, 383 form a doubleD-shape, with the middle chamber 382 serving as an absorber element forforces along the longitudinal direction of the middle chamber 382.

In an embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 25, siliconstrips 402 are used to separate airbag chambers 408 into smallerchambers. In the example shown in FIG. 25, silicon strips 402 separate achamber 408 into two smaller chambers with less volume. This causes afast airbag 400 deployment and fast positioning of the airbag 400. Oneor more silicon strips 402 may be used and the strips 402 may beparallel or non-parallel. For example, lines of silicon 402 may includestrips of silicon or straps of silicon. Silicon based materials may beused, including silicone. As pressure increases inside an airbag 400during deployment, the silicon strips 402 may fail and allow the airbag400 to inflate to full volume. For example, the silicon lines 402 mayfail by cracking or breaking. Failure of the silicon lines 402 may occurfully, partially, or not at all. In a further embodiment shown in FIG.26, silicon strips 402 are used to further divide airbag chambers 408.

In another embodiment of the present invention, an airbag 420 ispre-folded before the process of folding so that length of an airbag 420and a tension layer 91 are equalized or so that the airbag 420 isarranged with two sides of equal length. To achieve equivalent lengths,one or more pre-folds may be necessary to obtain a flat layered package.FIG. 27 f illustrates an airbag 420 with an airbag layer 421 and atensioning layer 91. FIGS. 27 a, 27 b, 27 c, 27 d, and 27 e illustratevarious examples of pre-folds for airbags 420.

In another embodiment of the present invention, an airbag 420 ispre-folded prior to packaging the airbag 420 by using a rolled fold,zig-zag fold, plus-1, or a combination of different pre-fold types.FIGS. 28 a, 28 b, 28 c, 28 d, 28 e, and 28 f illustrate various examplesof pre-folds and pre-fold combinations for airbags 420.

FIG. 29 a shows an example of another embodiment of the presentinvention in which an airbag 440 with a double-sided D-shape is used.For example, the airbag 440 may be formed by two D-shaped airbags. Adouble-sided D-shaped airbag may include a tensioning layer 91 in itsmiddle. FIG. 29 b shows an end view of a double-sided D-shaped airbag440.

In another embodiment of the present invention, primary airbag chambers455 may be connected to secondary airbag chambers 457 so that thesecondary chambers 457 are filled by gas passing from the primarychambers 455. In the example shown in FIG. 30, a seam 458 is used tocreate secondary chambers 457 that are filled from below by gas flowingfrom primary chambers 455. Such arrangements allow for fast positioningand the use of seams 458 also allow bending of the airbag 450 along abent line 459. Bending of the airbag 450 due to the seams 458 may besufficient to shape the bag 450 without further bending means.

FIG. 31 shows a further embodiment of the present invention that usesseams 458 positioned near the top of the airbag 450 to divide chambers453 into primary 455 and secondary 457 chambers. Such designs allow forfast positioning with fewer circular seams 460 in the upper region ofthe airbag 450. A bent line may be created via horizontal tensioning orby any of the methods described above.

In another embodiment of the present invention, inner tether layers 510may be used to shape an airbag 500. In the example shown in FIG. 32 a, adouble-V fabric is seamed in the middle of an airbag 500 to form theairbag 500 into an X-shape. The double-V fabric, or X-tether 510, may besewn together with the existing seams at the edges. Such inner tethers510 may be used to limit the extension of the airbag 500. FIG. 32 bshows an end-view of a cross-section of an airbag 500 with an X-tether510.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a strap 530 that isfixed to a point on a vehicle is used. For example, a strap 530 may befixed to the roof R inside of a vehicle. In the embodiment illustratedin FIG. 33 a, a strap 530 is fixed to the roof R of a vehicle and to anairbag 520 with a connection member 91. In the embodiment illustrated inFIG. 33 b, an airbag 520 without a bend or connection member is attachedto a strap 530 that is fixed to the inside roof R of a vehicle. In theembodiment shown in FIG. 33 c, an airbag 520 without bent straps at itslower edge is attached to a strap 530 that is fixed to the inside roof Rof a vehicle. Other variations may be achieved through direct protectionof a strap 530, through positioning of the airbag 520, or combinationsof the methods described above.

Given the disclosure of the present invention, one versed in the artwould appreciate that there may be other embodiments and modificationswithin the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, allmodifications attainable by one versed in the art from the presentdisclosure within the scope and spirit of the present invention are tobe included as further embodiments of the present invention. The scopeof the present invention is to be defined as set forth in the followingclaims.

1. An airbag device comprising: a side airbag having first and secondside surfaces, upper and lower ends and an intermediate portion, theside airbag being configured to deploy downwardly toward a vehicleoccupant; and a member connecting the upper and lower ends of the sideairbag, wherein the side airbag is configured to inflate into a positionwherein an enveloped space is defined by the first side surface and aplane containing the member, and wherein the side airbag and member arefolded before installation into a vehicle.
 2. The airbag device of claim1, wherein an unfolded vertical length of the member is smaller than anunfolded vertical length of the airbag.
 3. The airbag device of claim 1,wherein a ratio of an unfolded vertical length of the airbag to anunfolded vertical length of the member is approximately 1.2 or greater.4. The airbag device of claim 1, wherein the side airbag is pre-foldedbefore the member is folded such that a pre-folded vertical length ofthe airbag is equalized to an unfolded vertical length of the member. 5.The airbag device of claim 4, wherein the side airbag is pre-folded byfolding an intermediate portion of the airbag onto a side of the airbagopposite of a side facing the member.
 6. The airbag device of claim 4,wherein the side airbag is pre-folded by folding two intermediateportions of the airbag onto a side of the airbag opposite of a sidefacing the member.
 7. The airbag device of claim 6, wherein the twointermediate portions of the airbag share a common surface.
 8. Theairbag device of claim 6, wherein the two intermediate portions of theairbag are at a spaced distance from each other.
 9. The airbag device ofclaim 1, wherein the side airbag is pre-folded before the member isfolded such that the pre-folded airbag and the unfolded member form twolayers of equal length.
 10. The airbag device of claim 9, wherein onelayer is formed of one portion of the side airbag while another layer isformed by another portion of the side airbag and the member.
 11. Theairbag device of claim 1, wherein the airbag and member are separatelyfolded.
 12. The airbag device of claim 11, wherein the side airbag isrolled and the member is zig-zag folded.
 13. The airbag device of claim11, wherein the side airbag is folded such that the member is folded ina central portion and the member is folded again such that the centralportion of the member is placed onto the side airbag.
 14. The airbagdevice of claim 1, wherein, after the side airbag is pre-folded, theside airbag and member are rolled, zig-zag folded, or a combinationthereof.
 15. A method of folding an airbag device comprising:pre-folding a side airbag connected to a member, wherein the side airbaghas first and second side surfaces, upper and lower ends and anintermediate portion, wherein the side airbag is configured to deploydownwardly toward a vehicle occupant, wherein the member connects theupper and lower ends of the side airbag, wherein the side airbag isconfigured to inflate into a position wherein an enveloped space isdefined by the first side surface and a plane containing the member, andfolding the side airbag and member after the side airbag is pre-folded.16. The method of claim 15, wherein an unfolded vertical length of themember is smaller than an unfolded vertical length of the airbag. 17.The method of claim 15, wherein a ratio of an unfolded vertical lengthof the airbag to an unfolded vertical length of the member isapproximately 1.2 or greater.
 18. The method of claim 15, wherein thestep of pre-folding the side airbag causes a pre-folded vertical lengthof the airbag to be equalized to an unfolded vertical length of themember.
 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of pre-folding theside airbag comprises folding an intermediate portion of the airbag ontoa side of the airbag opposite of a side facing the member.
 20. Themethod of claim 18, wherein the step of pre-folding the side airbagcomprises folding two intermediate portions of the airbag onto a side ofthe airbag opposite of a side facing the member.
 21. The method of claim20, wherein the two intermediate portions of the airbag share a commonsurface.
 22. The method of claim 20, wherein the two intermediateportions of the airbag are at a spaced distance from each other.
 23. Themethod of claim 15, wherein the step of folding the side airbag andmember comprises folding the side airbag and member so as to be rolled,zig-zag folded, or a combination thereof.
 24. The method of claim 15,wherein the step of folding the side airbag and member comprises rollingthe side airbag and zig-zag folding the member.
 25. The method of claim15, further comprising pre-folding the member such that the member ispre-folded in a central portion and the member is pre-folded again suchthat the central portion of the member is placed on the pre-folded sideairbag.